Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in Super Over in opening game of Super Eights at World Twenty20

Last Updated: 27/09/12 7:37pm

Lasith Malinga: Sri Lanka pace bowler held nerve in Super Over

Rob Nicol: New Zealand opener top scored for his side with 58

Lasith Malinga bowled Sri Lanka to victory over New Zealand in a Super Over at the World Twenty20.

The scores finished level in the opening game of the Super Eights in Pallekele and Sri Lanka then made 13-1 from Tim Southee's extra six deliveries.

Malinga kept New Zealand down to 8-1 in reply, Martin Guptill was caught on the long-off boundary from his fifth delivery to effectively seal the result.

Set a target of 175 in regulation, Tillakaratne Dilshan (76) and Mahela Jayawardene (44) put Sri Lanka on course with an opening partnership of 80 in 7.2 overs.

The run out of Dilshan left Sri Lanka still needing eight off the final six balls but Lahiru Thirimanne found the boundary with a scoop to reduce the equation to one from one - but was then run out trying to scramble through for a single off the final delivery when New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor dropped the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker's end.

New Zealand openers Rob Nicol and Guptill had earlier shared a 57-run stand after New Zealand had opted to bat first.

Akila Dananjaya, making his international debut and the latest in a long line of unorthodox spinners to represent Sri Lanka, broke the stand in his opening over when Guptill (38) holed out to long-off.

Dananjaya later removed Nicol (58) and finished with figures of 2-32 but New Zealand kept the runs flowing throughout the innings, Brendon McCullum (25) and Taylor (23) both contributing useful knocks in a total of 174-7.